Residents call for safety action at Kibo Rd, Regents Park following death of Steven Tamba, 3, in 2018

A grandmother whose grandson died after being struck by a car outside her western Sydney home has pleaded for action to avoid another tragedy at the black spot – but change has been delayed.

Steven Tamba died after being struck by a car on Kibo Rd at Regents Park. Picture: Facebook

A grandmother whose three-year-old grandson was struck by a car at Regents Park and died eight months later has pleaded with Cumberland Council to do something about the black spot which is a magnet for reckless drivers.

Roula Christoudoulides’ three-year-old grandson Steven Tamba was struck by a car at Kibo Rd on September 18, 2018, when he wandered onto the road from a park near her house.

He suffered critical injuries and his life support was turned off eight months later.

Investigators do not believe the driver of the Toyota sedan, a man aged in his 50s, was at fault and no charges were laid.

At the time Steven’s father, Michael Tamba, said awareness needed to be raised about no speed humps or crossings around public parks — and believed they would have saved his son’s life.

At a council meeting last week, Mrs Christoudoulides, who has lived on Kibo Rd for 32 years, implored the council to implement measures such as a pedestrian crossing, before tragedy struck again.

“I don’t want any other family to go through what I’ve been through, what my family’s been through,’’ she said.

“They need to put something there to slow traffic on Kibo Rd.

“You definitely need a crossing, you definitely need something to slow those people down and stop the burnouts.’’

Steven Tamba was three when he died. Picture: Facebook

Steven Tamba did not survive months after a sedan struck him. Picture: Facebook

She said when her grandson died, there were no road markings or signs on the hilly street.

“There are a lot of young families living in Kibo Rd,’’ she said.

“I don’t want to see anyone else hurt.’’

She said the council provided fencing at the park her grandson ran out of but the recent council proposals to provide edge line markings – but not traffic calming devices such as speed humps and pedestrian crossings — were inadequate.

Resident Alex Doyan, who has lived on Kibo Rd for three years, said traffic was getting faster on the 50km/h zone and the hills created several blind spots.

Police at Kibo Rd after Steven was struck. Picture: TNV

“I feel really unsafe’’ he said, adding how many cars speed at 80 or 90km/h.

“Even if you put a roundabout or something, it will slow the trucks as well – there’s a lot of truck traffic going through as well.’’

Council documents show there were three accidents recorded in Kibo Rd in the five years ending September 2022.

Two occurred at the intersection of Kibo and Kingsland roads, with one related to a turning car and the other to an accident with a parked car.

The third involved a pedestrian crossing at Kibo Rd near Bradley Ave.

Police and incident scene on Lidbo Street, Regents park. Picture: TNV

But the council said traffic data collected did not warrant traffic calming devices and would review conditions on the road in 12 months.

Council officers will prepare another report for the traffic committee about pedestrian crossings and cycle lanes in August.

The matter was discussed in closed council because Cr Eddy Sarkis wanted to discuss it with a separate development application about an organise waste storage facility at Lidcombe, which would have an impact on surrounding roads.

Labor councillors Glenn Elmore, Ola Hamed, Kun Huang, Sabrin Farooqui, Mohamad Hussein, Lisa Lake and Suman Saha. Cr Diane Coleman was absent and it went to closed session on Mayor Lake’s casting vote.

Those who supported the open vote were independents Michael Zaiter, Greg Cummings and Joseph Rahme; and Our Local Community’s Helen Hughes, Cr Sarkis, Paul Garrard and Steve Christou.

Originally published as Residents call for safety action at Kibo Rd, Regents Park following death of Steven Tamba, 3, in 2018